


Interwoven

by astraplain



Category: Gorgeous Carat
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-28 10:09:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10090781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astraplain/pseuds/astraplain
Summary: A kidnapping attempt goes wrong and it's up to Florian to save Azura's life.





	

"If you try anything..." Florian let the threat linger as he removed the last of his clothing and slipped into the nest he'd made. It was still raining and the overturned car didn't offer much shelter. Skin-to-skin contact was their best hope for surviving outdoors in near-freezing temperatures. Florian hoped it would be enough to keep them both alive until morning.

"You have an unreasonably high opinion of yourself," Azura replied, his words slurring enough to convince Florian to move closer. They were both injured and bloody, but they were still breathing. Azura's men hadn't been as lucky.

Florian shivered at the memory of touching their clammy skin as he undressed the two corpses. They'd been wearing heavy wool clothing; protection from the cold that they no longer needed, but that might help Florian and Azura survive until morning. He'd felt like the lowest kind of thief, but Florian had forced himself to do what had to be done. It was a small burden for his conscience and better than the one he'd carry if he failed to do everything in his power to keep his badly injured adversary alive.

It was the same reasoning that had him naked and pressed up against Azura, trembling, but not just from the cold. Florian wasn't sure if the faint scent of opium was real, or imagined, but it made it difficult to push the unwanted memories away. His body remembered this; the drug, the way Azura fit against him. Florian bit his lip hard to hold back the sounds of fear that were choking him.

He'd wanted to surprise Ray in Vienna and perhaps convince him to prolong his stay until Christmas; instead, he'd been taken at knifepoint from the train station by Azura's men. He still didn't know where they had been going when a deer ran out in front of their car. The driver had swerved to avoid hitting the animal but lost control on the wet road. The car had rolled over several times before coming to a rest on its side. Azura's men died instantly, thrown from the vehicle as it rolled down an embankment. Azura had been pinned half-under the car and Florian had been wedged between the now-broken seats.

Florian believed he had escaped with only a minor head wound, a sprained ankle and a lot of cuts and bruises. He couldn't say the same for Azura, the man's one leg was definitely broken and the other might be also. Azura had cuts all over and a large wound on his head. It was hard to tell in the fading light, but it seemed as if Azura’s one good eye wasn't focusing properly.

No matter how much he dreaded spending time with this man, Florian knew it would be foolish to set out in the dark in search of help. 

"Spare me your noble sacrifice, boy." Azura growled at him. "I don't need saving by the likes of you."

"Of course not," Florian snapped, pulling away slightly. "Let your pride keep you warm. Let it keep you from bleeding to death. I don't care, but I'm not fool enough to wander around unfamiliar woods in the dark, so you can just be civil until morning."

Florian started to turn his back on the man, but reconsidered, facing Azura instead. Florian wasn't going to make himself more vulnerable, no matter how injured Azura appeared to be.

They were quiet for a while, the sound of rain almost lulling Florian to sleep before he heard Azura's pained gasp. The man must be in agony, Florian realized, yet he was too damned stubborn to admit it.

"Who are you trying to impress?" he snarled, lifting up to look down at Azura's one good eye. Azura still didn't seem to be focusing properly and Florian reached up to check his head for other wounds. He barely brushed the edge of what seemed to be a large bump before Azura shoved him away.

"Keep your hands to yourself. I have no need of your help."

"Certainly not. I know nothing of being injured and vulnerable, and I'm so petty and vindictive that I'd leave an injured man alone in the woods to die." Florian dropped back down onto his side and pressed closer to Azura, easily deflecting the man's weak efforts to push him away. "Believe what you want, but I'm only doing this for Ray. If not for him, I'd watch you die and consider it an evening's entertainment."

"You are a terrible liar. I still can't imagine why Ray tolerates you."

"Can't you? I thought you were smart." Florian felt Azura trembling, whether from pain or cold, and lifted himself half over Azura and pretending it was part of their conversation. "I'm his 'what-if'; the intrigue of a past that should have been. The mansions, the opulence - that was supposed to be his." Florian laughed coldly and twisted his expression into a sneer. "Why do you think he plays those games as Noir?"

"Don't pretend your short time as his charity case makes you an expert on Ray Courland," Azura snapped, his voice tight.

"And don't pretend that your time as his friend entitles you to ownership," Florian countered sharply. "You lost your eye for him, and that is a debt he will never forget, but that doesn't mean you can abuse him at your whim."

"Just as your pathetic and helpless act doesn't entitle you to his protection and goodwill. You're an obligation, nothing more."

"You would believe that. Tell me, Azura, do you treat all of your friends the same way, or is Ray the exception? You may not realize this, but he's not actually your pet."

"Unlike you. Has he collared you yet?" Azura somehow managed to leer, even with his blurry vision.

"He has indeed.” Florian leaned in and spoke the words into Azura’s face: “A pity you'll never share that experience." This man had taken so much from him, but that didn't mean Florian had to admit defeat. He may be dependent on Ray but that didn't mean he was powerless.

"As if I would ever lower myself to such a position." Azura coughed weakly before adding, "Ray has too much sympathy for whores." And then, with a look of deliberate amusement he added, "Or perhaps it's just nostalgia."

It took everything Florian had not to strike Azura for that. Ray had confessed his past to Florian when they were both injured and vulnerable and he was very protective of that confession. Florian knew Azura had helped Ray escape from that life, but he had no way of knowing if Azura had been forced into the same kind of desperate circumstance. If not, Azura’s words were that much crueler.

"I am only what you made me," Florian reminded Azura, drawing attention away from Ray; he didn’t want to hear anything the man had to say about him. Florian lowered his body so he was covering Azura fully, but braced most of his weight on his arms.

"Now is hardly the time to remind me of your lackluster skills," Azura tried to sound bored, but his breath hitched as Florian pressed against one of many injuries.

"Then be quiet." Florian settled into a position that didn't seem to be causing Azura any more distress, and pulled the clothing tighter around them. He pulled it partway over their heads, but didn't cover them completely. He couldn't stand the thought of that kind of blackness. Not when so many other reminders of his time in Morocco were threatening to overwhelm him. Tears prickled at the corners of his eyes and he bit his lip viciously to stop them.

When he was safely home and in private, he'd allow himself that outlet, but there were hours to go before dawn and he didn't know if the morning light would bring help, but just allow him a better view of Azura's passing.

Beneath him, Azura's breathing evened out - he was asleep or he'd passed out. Either way, Florian was grateful; he needed time to plan.

He hadn't really been paying attention to their surroundings before the accident, but he did remember passing through a small town. He had the impression it was a quite a distance away, but he thought a sure thing was better than the hope of something closer. 

However, he argued with himself, the farther they were from the last town meant that they were closer to the next one. If not, there were surely farms nearby, and travelers who would be taking the same road they'd been on when the accident occurred.

Closing his eyes, he tried to ignore the body beneath him and the scent that filled him with echoes of desperate longing and fear. He couldn't afford distractions, not with a life in the balance. He had to make a decision and it had to be the right one.

The familiar feeling of helplessness filled him and he blew out a breath in measures, forcing himself to calm as the stale air left him. Cautiously he laid his head down on Azura's shoulder, trying to keep as much of his body covering the injured man as he could.

Rest, he told himself. Make the decision with a clear head.

He almost laughed at that, the memory of opium pulling at him seductively.

He pinched himself sharply, keeping the pressure on until he was sure there would be marks. The thoughts of opium went back into their dark corner and he let himself believe the shiver that shook his whole body was simply from the cold.  
+++++

"I'm making you explain this to Ray," Florian panted as he dragged the half-conscious Azura along on a makeshift sled fashioned from scavenged parts of Azura's car. The ground was wet and Florian slipped frequently, but it also helped the sled move, so he concentrated on being grateful and kept moving as steadily as he could.

Azura was fading in and out of consciousness, and his skin had taken on a hint of grey that frightened Florian. His own injuries were minor by comparison so Florian had bound his weak ankle and ignored the pain.

He'd left Azura briefly at dawn, climbing up to the road and walking along for one full length of a song his uncle had taught him. It had the right beat for a brisk walk, but was short enough that he wouldn't have to worry about leaving Azura unattended for too long.

In the end, there had been nothing more than faint tracks, muddy and indistinct, and he'd had to turn back. His intuition told him to take Azura in that direction anyway, but common sense won out and he was taking Azura back the way they'd traveled before the accident, keeping as close to the road as he was able, but staying on the grass to make the trip easier.

It was slow-paced and exhausting work and he was sweating in his heavy coat, but unwilling to go without on a chilly, damp day. His hands were sore from the rope he was using to pull the conveyance and his entire body ached. Azura kept shifting and he'd fallen off twice.

He'd sneered while Florian tried to get him settled again, and Florian had almost said something he would have deeply regretted. Even now the words sat heavy in his chest, wrapping around his breath as he panted, threatening to come spilling out along with the air that barely seemed to be filling his lungs.

A very small, very treacherous part of Florian urged him to drop the rope and walk away. As the ground grew rougher and harder to navigate, and Florian's arms and legs began to shake with exertion the urge grew more insistent.

What if he did this - saved Azura - and nothing changed? What if he still woke in terror, feeling like he was suffocating? What if he still had to worry about being abducted, or worse, every time he stepped outside?

Azura moaned softly and Florian stopped moving long enough to cast a look over his shoulder. The man looked terrible. He'd gone even grayer and his lips were tinged blue.

Panic gripped Florian and he tightened his hold on the rope and pushed forward, drawing every bit of strength he had into the forward motion. He wasn't as careful now, hitting bumps and sticks as he moved, gritting his teeth as the uneven ground sent jolts of pain through his body.

He was so focused on the distance that he missed the small dip in the ground until he felt himself falling forward, helplessly. He landed hard enough to push all the breath from his body and his injured ankle sent a wave of white-hot agony through his entire being.

Florian stayed like that for a long moment, trying to breathe, but jolted up when he heard Azura start to cough.

Damnit! Florian hauled himself up and pushed forward again, paying more attention to the path right in front of him. There were tears misting the edges of his vision and he blinked them away without lifting his hands away from the rope.

After a while, he went numb. Or at least he stopped feeling anything more than the vague sense of motion as he kept walking. Azura had been unconscious for a while but Florian refused to think about anything other than reaching help. There was a faint column of smoke in the distance and he was moving towards it as fast as he could.

He never made it.

"There he is!"

Florian had no idea who was speaking; he didn't recognize the voice. In his mind that meant trouble. Desperately he started angling away from the faint figures in black. They had to be Azura's men, and the temptation to leave the injured man and get away was strong, but Florian knew he'd never outrun them in his condition. With a bitter laugh he slowed his movements and then stopped, still gripping the rope.

"He's hurt," Florian said needlessly as one of the men dropped to his knees at Azura's side. With little effort he picked the unconscious man up and handed him up to his companion.

"Come with us," the first man commanded as he stood. He reached out to Florian and wrapped a hand lightly around his, urging him to drop the rope. "Are you hurt?"

"Just some bruises," Florian insisted, not wanting to admit to his adversaries how much he was hurting. He released the rope, wincing at the pain that flared up his arms as he dropped them to his sides.

"We have a car just over there," the first man said, gesturing ahead and towards the right. The man carrying Azura started walking, but this man lingered, waiting for Florian, still holding him lightly by the arm - not in a threatening way, but as if offering support.

"I'm fine," Florian insisted, stepping out of the man's reach, only to feel his knees go weak. The man grabbed him before he fell.

"Let me help," the man insisted. "We'll take you to safety. We've already been in contact with Count Courland."

"Why would you do that?" Florian wondered, feeling light-headed.

"Do you want to stay here?"

"No," Florian shook his head and felt his whole body wavering. Perhaps he was is worse shape than he realized. The thought of seeing Ray was very appealing right now.

"We're almost there," the man said quietly, urging Florian to keep moving. They made the rest of the trip in silence, Florian's mouth set with grim determination as he focused everything he had on getting to the car. A small part of him was still afraid that this was some kind of trap and he was walking right into it. The rest of him couldn't spare the energy to care.

He fell asleep, or perhaps he passed out, as soon as the car started moving, and didn't become aware of his surroundings until he heard a very familiar voice.

"We need to work on your idea of a surprise," Ray said with fond amusement. Florian was in a very warm, very comfortable bed, with Ray at his side. He closed his eyes and settled back, letting himself enjoy the feeling.

"I do prefer the kind where I'm not the one being surprised," he admitted drowsily. He hurt everywhere, but it was a dull annoyance, not searing pain.

"I believe Azura agrees with you." Ray toyed with the ends of Florian's hair, brushing it back , then tugging it lightly. "He's in the hospital and will remain there until we are well on our way to Vienna."

"Good to know," Florian said as neutrally as he could. He was glad the man had survived, but he wasn't anxious to see him again.

"You do know you saved his life." Ray couldn't keep the hint of curiosity out of his voice. He picked up one of Florian's hands and looked at the painful rope marks. It was a good thing he'd worn gloves or they would have been much worse.

"I did what anyone would have done," Florian assured him, trying to keep all emotion from his voice, and his expression. He never wanted Ray to know what a close thing it had been. 

"Thank you," Ray said after studying him for a while. He leaned in for a sweet kiss and settled down beside Florian, drawing him close. After a while, Florian slept, and much later, Ray followed, their bodies pressed together for comfort.

::end::


End file.
